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For the latest news from Scotland see our ScotNews feed at:
https://electricscotland.com/scotnews.htm
Electric Scotland News
Some of you may remember my hunt for Ox Tongue. Well I did manage to find it on an online British store in the UK.
Mind you that was despite my request to customers services at Princes Ltd. in Liverpool to ask if they could help me find a supplier for their product. I got a reply from their so called "Customer Services" team saying they were unable to help and they didn't export.
Now this is not an unusual response from companies but I feel it shows how pathetic some companies are in selling their products out with their home countries. As I've pointed out you can't get cooked Ox Tongue in Canada so you'd think this would be an excellent prospect for exporting their product but clearly they aren't interested in exporting. And while I was able to find a British company that could supply the product their Customer Services were unable to supply this information either.
In my view this Princes company is an example of how bad the private sector are at selling their products and is the main reason why the UK is not taking advantage of the new trade deals being make around the world due to Brexit. I mean if they can't even supply the name of a company that is willing to send their product overseas then heads should role.
But as I mentioned above this is a somewhat typical state in many countries and I believe shareholders should ask questions of the Directors as to why they are not doing better. I mean as an ex marketing guy I'd have been happy to work with an existing customer to help promote my product to markets I don't supply and even put some marketing funds to help promote them.
It's like I was watching a video from the US on YouTube where they were offering to sell you some instant coffee where I thought I'd give it a go as that's all I really drink is instant coffee. However it was only available in the US. Despite sending them two emails asking if they could supply their product to Canada I didn't get a response. So this is just to show it's not just a British problem.
They also could have supplied a US company that already had ways of shipping to Canada but it's clear they hadn't even considered that. I wonder how many companies around the world have this problem?
Also I note the many comments in newspapers in Scotland that say Brexit isn't working for Scottish businesses. Well we already know that some 60% of all Scottish exports go to England. So as Britain is still a single market you can understand how easy it is to sell products and services to the rUK. So how many Scottish companies could also do better if they at least found a company to help export their products for them outside the UK? I guess this is the same problem in the US as they are able to easily sell their products to the rUSA but clearly have issues on selling outside the country.
So my point is that Governments should encourage companies to look to exports to expand their businesses and to work collaboratively with others to help with this.
Scottish News from this weeks newspapers
Note that this is a selection and more can be read in our ScotNews feed on our index page where we list news from the past 1-2 weeks. I am partly doing this to build an archive of modern news from and about Scotland and world news stories that can affect Scotland and as all the newsletters are archived and also indexed on Google and other search engines it becomes a good resource. I might also add that in a number of newspapers you will find many comments which can be just as interesting as the news story itself and of course you can also add your own comments if you wish which I do myself from time to time.
One snort for hello?
Her poor old neck is still a little twisted. But she’s a survivor, our Mrs Swan, and today as always she comes to the bank, sunshine bouncing off her snowdrop-white feathers, head on one side with a look of expectation. Has she come for a chat?
Read more at:
https://sceptical.scot/2022/02/one-snort-for-hello/
Two green freeports to be established in Scotland
The Scottish and UK governments have agreed to establish two green freeports in Scotland. The deal comes as Boris Johnson is expected to visit Scotland on Monday.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland...itics-60368377
What have local councils ever done for us?
In the second of our series on local government's past, present and future from the Mercat Group of former local council CEOs, George Thorley urges much greater voter turnout in May's crucial elections than the 47% we saw in 2017. Voting is a fundamental right, he argues - and it matters for more reasons than we probably know.
Read more at:
https://sceptical.scot/2022/02/what-...r-done-for-us/
What's missing from Scottish Politics?
By Gerry Hassan in the Scottish Review
Read more at:
https://www.scottishreview.net/GerryHassan604a.html
Results of the Highlands and Islands Media Awards
By Hamish Mackay in the Scottish Review
Read more at:
https://www.scottishreview.net/HamishMackay604a.html
Archaeologists to examine storm-hit St Kilda hut
Archaeologists plan to investigate the construction of a stone hut, called a cleit, on St Kilda after it was damaged by storms. The structure is believed to have been built on the site of a house where an Edinburgh-born 18th Century aristocrat was forced to live. Lady Grange was kidnapped on the orders of her estranged husband and taken to St Kilda - 40 miles off the Western Isles.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpdrzj9zv7no
The animals that detect disasters
For millennia, people across the globe have reported alarmed animal behaviour in the run-up to natural disasters. Could these signals be used to warn us of impending catastrophes?
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2...dict-disasters
Why is Canada's Covid death rate so much lower than US?
The proportion of daily new confirmed Covid cases has been lower in Canada than the US throughout most of the pandemic.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60380317
Boris's Brexit trade guru who takes no crap transforms UK into formidable global force
New Zealander Crawford Falconer was hired by the UK Government to help set up the newly-formed Department of International Trade in August 2017. After decades of trade deals being dictated by the EU, Britain was about to leave the bloc and be free to do its own agreements but with no experience in negotiations.
Read more at:
https://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...alconer-latest
SNP Green Government could have given £600 to low income families but gave cash to the well off
Criticism is mounting of the Scottish Government's policy of giving 73% of all households £150 to address the cost of living crisis
Read more at:
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/p...given-26246247
An agenda to boost employment and protect the UK
Through apprenticeships and workplace programmes, BAE Systems is training people in the skills of the future.
Read more at:
https://www.newstatesman.com/spotlig...protect-the-uk
Electric Canadian
The Fenian Raid of 1866 and Events on the Frontier
By Barlow Cumberland, M.A., President Ontario Historical Society, Captain, Retired List. (Presented by Dr. W. Wilfred Campbell, and read Sept. 27, 1910.)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/forces/fenian-raid.htm
Laurenciana
By Lt.-Colonel William Wood Author of “The Fight for Canada"
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...aurenciana.htm
The White Chief of the Ottawa
A sketch of the life experiences of Philemon Wright and his family, the first settlers in the district of Ottawa By Bertha Wright Carr-Harris (1903) (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/make...00carruoft.pdf
THOUGHTS on a SUNDAY MORNING - the 13th day of February 2022 - TRUTHS
By Rev. Nola Crewe
You can view this at:
http://www.electricscotland.org/foru...ry-2022-truths
Through the Mackenzie Basin
A Narrative of the Athabasca and Peace River Treaty Expedition of 1899 by Charles Mair (1908) (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...nzie_Basin.htm
Electric Scotland
Beth's Newfangled Family Tree
Hi Everyone. It's been a busy February with Valentine's yesterday (Happy Belated Valentine's Day to everyone!) and the anniversary of the Massacre at Glencoe the day before that. I've been to Glencoe many times and was so moved each time I went. I finished the Clan Henderson An Canach March publication yesterday and there are several Glencoe articles contained there. Hopefully, I will send the proofed and scanned An Canach to Alastair today. If you'd like to read about Glencoe, visit
https://electricscotland.com/familyt...ters/Henderson and check late today or tomorrow and look at the March 2022 issue. Of course, if you'd like to join the Hendersons, just contact Mark Henderson, Vice President Members at <hendo28@comcast.net>.
Good news from Tom. The awful kidney stone is zapped. Tom has one more appointment where they will remove the stent which contains the last teensie bits of the kidney stone and take away his Foley catheter. That appointment will be later this week. If there is a Kidney Stone Removal Celebration, we need to know about it! Hurrah. Dancing, cheering, hollering, leaping, and in general a whole lotta joy! It's gone! It's gone!
I was thrilled to hear about Lord Godfrey and Claire Macdonald's Kinloch Lodge on Skye having their 50th Anniversary! There is an article in this issue about this momentous happening. Their daughter Isabella is now at the lodge, which is just the loveliest place. When Marti and I took folks to Scotland on tours, we made it a highlight of the trip to always have a meal at Kinloch Lodge. The hospitality there is beyond compare. Wonderful!
Remember to send me your Flowers of the Forest and your genealogical queries to <bethscribble@aol.com> and also to send to the same email changes in your email addresses.
Please stay safe and be careful.
Aye,
beth
You can get issue 2 for March 2022 at: https://electricscotland.com/bnft/index.htm
Beth's Video Talks
February 16th 2022 - Place Names in Genealogical Research 1
You can watch this at:
https://electricscotland.com/bnft/index.htm
History of Davidson County, Tennessee
With Illustrative and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers by Prof. W. W. Clayton (1880) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...onCountyTN.pdf
Clan Henderson
Got in their March 2022 newsletter which you can read at:
https://electricscotland.com/familyt...rson/index.htm
A Winter with Robert Burns
Being Annals of his Patrons and Associates in Edinburgh during the year 1786-7, and details oif his inauguration as Poet-Laureate of the Can: Kil: by James Marshall (1846) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/burns/burns_winter.pdf
Return of a King
The Battle for Afghanistan by William Dalrymple (2012)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...The_Battle.pdf
The Book of Humour, Wit, & Wisdom
A Manual of Table-Talk (1874) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/humour/bookhumour.pdf
The Battle of Culbleen
From a volume of Aberdeen Notes & Queries.
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...ofculbleen.htm
Almost a Gonner, was the Champion Sconner!
A Doric poem by Stan Bruce to which he's added an audio version
You can read and listen to this at:
https://electricscotland.com/poetry/...on_sconner.htm
Cairnes or Cairns
Added a page for this name to our site.
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/webclans/atoc/cairns.html
Story
I thought I'd do this weeks story a bit differently from past weeks in that I have enjoyed reading again about James Beattie, Professor of
You can read this at: https://electricscotland.com/history...ttie_james.htm
END.
Weekend is almost here and hope it's a good one for you.
Alastair
https://electricscotland.com/scotnews.htm
Electric Scotland News
Some of you may remember my hunt for Ox Tongue. Well I did manage to find it on an online British store in the UK.
Mind you that was despite my request to customers services at Princes Ltd. in Liverpool to ask if they could help me find a supplier for their product. I got a reply from their so called "Customer Services" team saying they were unable to help and they didn't export.
Now this is not an unusual response from companies but I feel it shows how pathetic some companies are in selling their products out with their home countries. As I've pointed out you can't get cooked Ox Tongue in Canada so you'd think this would be an excellent prospect for exporting their product but clearly they aren't interested in exporting. And while I was able to find a British company that could supply the product their Customer Services were unable to supply this information either.
In my view this Princes company is an example of how bad the private sector are at selling their products and is the main reason why the UK is not taking advantage of the new trade deals being make around the world due to Brexit. I mean if they can't even supply the name of a company that is willing to send their product overseas then heads should role.
But as I mentioned above this is a somewhat typical state in many countries and I believe shareholders should ask questions of the Directors as to why they are not doing better. I mean as an ex marketing guy I'd have been happy to work with an existing customer to help promote my product to markets I don't supply and even put some marketing funds to help promote them.
It's like I was watching a video from the US on YouTube where they were offering to sell you some instant coffee where I thought I'd give it a go as that's all I really drink is instant coffee. However it was only available in the US. Despite sending them two emails asking if they could supply their product to Canada I didn't get a response. So this is just to show it's not just a British problem.
They also could have supplied a US company that already had ways of shipping to Canada but it's clear they hadn't even considered that. I wonder how many companies around the world have this problem?
Also I note the many comments in newspapers in Scotland that say Brexit isn't working for Scottish businesses. Well we already know that some 60% of all Scottish exports go to England. So as Britain is still a single market you can understand how easy it is to sell products and services to the rUK. So how many Scottish companies could also do better if they at least found a company to help export their products for them outside the UK? I guess this is the same problem in the US as they are able to easily sell their products to the rUSA but clearly have issues on selling outside the country.
So my point is that Governments should encourage companies to look to exports to expand their businesses and to work collaboratively with others to help with this.
Scottish News from this weeks newspapers
Note that this is a selection and more can be read in our ScotNews feed on our index page where we list news from the past 1-2 weeks. I am partly doing this to build an archive of modern news from and about Scotland and world news stories that can affect Scotland and as all the newsletters are archived and also indexed on Google and other search engines it becomes a good resource. I might also add that in a number of newspapers you will find many comments which can be just as interesting as the news story itself and of course you can also add your own comments if you wish which I do myself from time to time.
One snort for hello?
Her poor old neck is still a little twisted. But she’s a survivor, our Mrs Swan, and today as always she comes to the bank, sunshine bouncing off her snowdrop-white feathers, head on one side with a look of expectation. Has she come for a chat?
Read more at:
https://sceptical.scot/2022/02/one-snort-for-hello/
Two green freeports to be established in Scotland
The Scottish and UK governments have agreed to establish two green freeports in Scotland. The deal comes as Boris Johnson is expected to visit Scotland on Monday.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland...itics-60368377
What have local councils ever done for us?
In the second of our series on local government's past, present and future from the Mercat Group of former local council CEOs, George Thorley urges much greater voter turnout in May's crucial elections than the 47% we saw in 2017. Voting is a fundamental right, he argues - and it matters for more reasons than we probably know.
Read more at:
https://sceptical.scot/2022/02/what-...r-done-for-us/
What's missing from Scottish Politics?
By Gerry Hassan in the Scottish Review
Read more at:
https://www.scottishreview.net/GerryHassan604a.html
Results of the Highlands and Islands Media Awards
By Hamish Mackay in the Scottish Review
Read more at:
https://www.scottishreview.net/HamishMackay604a.html
Archaeologists to examine storm-hit St Kilda hut
Archaeologists plan to investigate the construction of a stone hut, called a cleit, on St Kilda after it was damaged by storms. The structure is believed to have been built on the site of a house where an Edinburgh-born 18th Century aristocrat was forced to live. Lady Grange was kidnapped on the orders of her estranged husband and taken to St Kilda - 40 miles off the Western Isles.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpdrzj9zv7no
The animals that detect disasters
For millennia, people across the globe have reported alarmed animal behaviour in the run-up to natural disasters. Could these signals be used to warn us of impending catastrophes?
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2...dict-disasters
Why is Canada's Covid death rate so much lower than US?
The proportion of daily new confirmed Covid cases has been lower in Canada than the US throughout most of the pandemic.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60380317
Boris's Brexit trade guru who takes no crap transforms UK into formidable global force
New Zealander Crawford Falconer was hired by the UK Government to help set up the newly-formed Department of International Trade in August 2017. After decades of trade deals being dictated by the EU, Britain was about to leave the bloc and be free to do its own agreements but with no experience in negotiations.
Read more at:
https://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...alconer-latest
SNP Green Government could have given £600 to low income families but gave cash to the well off
Criticism is mounting of the Scottish Government's policy of giving 73% of all households £150 to address the cost of living crisis
Read more at:
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/p...given-26246247
An agenda to boost employment and protect the UK
Through apprenticeships and workplace programmes, BAE Systems is training people in the skills of the future.
Read more at:
https://www.newstatesman.com/spotlig...protect-the-uk
Electric Canadian
The Fenian Raid of 1866 and Events on the Frontier
By Barlow Cumberland, M.A., President Ontario Historical Society, Captain, Retired List. (Presented by Dr. W. Wilfred Campbell, and read Sept. 27, 1910.)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/forces/fenian-raid.htm
Laurenciana
By Lt.-Colonel William Wood Author of “The Fight for Canada"
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...aurenciana.htm
The White Chief of the Ottawa
A sketch of the life experiences of Philemon Wright and his family, the first settlers in the district of Ottawa By Bertha Wright Carr-Harris (1903) (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/make...00carruoft.pdf
THOUGHTS on a SUNDAY MORNING - the 13th day of February 2022 - TRUTHS
By Rev. Nola Crewe
You can view this at:
http://www.electricscotland.org/foru...ry-2022-truths
Through the Mackenzie Basin
A Narrative of the Athabasca and Peace River Treaty Expedition of 1899 by Charles Mair (1908) (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...nzie_Basin.htm
Electric Scotland
Beth's Newfangled Family Tree
Hi Everyone. It's been a busy February with Valentine's yesterday (Happy Belated Valentine's Day to everyone!) and the anniversary of the Massacre at Glencoe the day before that. I've been to Glencoe many times and was so moved each time I went. I finished the Clan Henderson An Canach March publication yesterday and there are several Glencoe articles contained there. Hopefully, I will send the proofed and scanned An Canach to Alastair today. If you'd like to read about Glencoe, visit
https://electricscotland.com/familyt...ters/Henderson and check late today or tomorrow and look at the March 2022 issue. Of course, if you'd like to join the Hendersons, just contact Mark Henderson, Vice President Members at <hendo28@comcast.net>.
Good news from Tom. The awful kidney stone is zapped. Tom has one more appointment where they will remove the stent which contains the last teensie bits of the kidney stone and take away his Foley catheter. That appointment will be later this week. If there is a Kidney Stone Removal Celebration, we need to know about it! Hurrah. Dancing, cheering, hollering, leaping, and in general a whole lotta joy! It's gone! It's gone!
I was thrilled to hear about Lord Godfrey and Claire Macdonald's Kinloch Lodge on Skye having their 50th Anniversary! There is an article in this issue about this momentous happening. Their daughter Isabella is now at the lodge, which is just the loveliest place. When Marti and I took folks to Scotland on tours, we made it a highlight of the trip to always have a meal at Kinloch Lodge. The hospitality there is beyond compare. Wonderful!
Remember to send me your Flowers of the Forest and your genealogical queries to <bethscribble@aol.com> and also to send to the same email changes in your email addresses.
Please stay safe and be careful.
Aye,
beth
You can get issue 2 for March 2022 at: https://electricscotland.com/bnft/index.htm
Beth's Video Talks
February 16th 2022 - Place Names in Genealogical Research 1
You can watch this at:
https://electricscotland.com/bnft/index.htm
History of Davidson County, Tennessee
With Illustrative and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers by Prof. W. W. Clayton (1880) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...onCountyTN.pdf
Clan Henderson
Got in their March 2022 newsletter which you can read at:
https://electricscotland.com/familyt...rson/index.htm
A Winter with Robert Burns
Being Annals of his Patrons and Associates in Edinburgh during the year 1786-7, and details oif his inauguration as Poet-Laureate of the Can: Kil: by James Marshall (1846) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/burns/burns_winter.pdf
Return of a King
The Battle for Afghanistan by William Dalrymple (2012)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...The_Battle.pdf
The Book of Humour, Wit, & Wisdom
A Manual of Table-Talk (1874) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/humour/bookhumour.pdf
The Battle of Culbleen
From a volume of Aberdeen Notes & Queries.
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...ofculbleen.htm
Almost a Gonner, was the Champion Sconner!
A Doric poem by Stan Bruce to which he's added an audio version
You can read and listen to this at:
https://electricscotland.com/poetry/...on_sconner.htm
Cairnes or Cairns
Added a page for this name to our site.
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/webclans/atoc/cairns.html
Story
I thought I'd do this weeks story a bit differently from past weeks in that I have enjoyed reading again about James Beattie, Professor of
Moral Philosophy & Logic, both a poet and philosopher. I have a page on the site about him but have also added this weeks some links to three publications about him. He was also very active in the anti-slavery movement.
You can read this at: https://electricscotland.com/history...ttie_james.htm
END.
Weekend is almost here and hope it's a good one for you.
Alastair
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